outlook & analysis

true cost of moving to the cloud

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debate erupts at 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 linkedin group.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

one of our regular contributors, hitendra r. patil, coo of pransform inc. in chicago, pointed out an article in a 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 linkedin group post. he noted that katrina geety had posted “i was skeptical about a move to the cloud. what it cost our firm.” on the workflow exchange.

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she noted that a server crash hadn’t meant any loss of data, since that was backed up, but a new one, related upgrades, downtime and testing meant an unproductive week. “had i hosted my applications instead, i would have paid $219 per month, a total of $3,723 for 17 months, instead of investing well over $30,000.” read more →

8 seconds into the future: meet generation z

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your new clients, new staff, new partners.

by hitendra patil
pransform inc.

have you ever watched a 5-year-old play on a tablet? it’s effortless. to them, it’s second nature.

born in 1995 or later, generation z makes up 26 percent of the united states population and is responsible for yearly spending of $44 billion.

but they may already be impacting the future of the accounting business in four important ways: read more →

when to adopt microsoft’s new office apps

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plan transition and training as part of a firmwide rollout.

kepczyk
kepczyk

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

to be effective in business today, every member of your firm must optimally utilize the microsoft office suite at an intermediate to advanced level for outlook, excel and word.

if your firm is on office 2007 or older, or has microsoft software assurance where the upgrade is included, you should jump to the 2013 version or consider the cloud-based office 365.

more tech trends:  windows 8 augers new era for how accountants will work in the future  |  how to choose the right backup system  |   how to know it’s time to scrap your old server  |  where laptops rule at cpa firms today  |  step 1 in building the paperless firm: scanners  |  how many computer monitors do you need?  |  the 9 ways managing partners leverage technology for a competitive edge  |  2014 roundtable: tax season tech boom

today’s standard is office 2007 or 2010 and firms with previous and mixed versions should plan on moving everyone to the latest common version as soon as feasible.

read more →

making meetings more productive

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and a…by making people more accountable.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: we seem to have a lot of meetings where great ideas are exchanged and then nothing is done. any suggestions?

response: a problem with many meetings is that there are no action items decided upon and assigned. a secondary problem is that many easy and quick-to-do items are assigned but they do not lead the firm toward their overall goals. read more →

three ways to run a firm: but only one is sustainable

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aquila
aquila

when neither democracy nor dictatorship works, there is a third way.

by auqust aquila
creating the effective partnership

what checks and balances exist in your firm to keep it strong but also to protect the minority interest?

maybe it’s time for more firms to consider a republic instead of a so-called democracy. the larger firms in the country are surely run more like a republic than a democracy. smaller firms would be well advised to change their governance to mirror the larger firms. but let’s start with the dictatorial form of governance – commonly found, sometimes wildly successful, but only to a point. read more →

the 13 big reasons firms merge

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and 13 potential sticking points with conflicting agendas.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers

whether you’re looking to acquire a smaller firm, merge upward into a larger one or join forces with an equal, answering this basic question honestly and objectively is key to laying the groundwork for a successful merger. read more →

all great strategy starts with “why”

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what do we want people to know, think or feel as a result of our internal communications efforts, and why? by bruce w. marcus the answers to these questions are the foundation for any communications activity, internal or external. they … continued

eight key goal areas for partners

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aquila
aquila

getting specific with leadership duties and partner accountability.

by auqust aquila
creating the effective partnership

as leaders of a firm, partners need to do more than pay for themselves and contribute to overhead expenses. their duties to the firm and to each other extend to bringing in new business, improving their own skills as well as developing skills in others, contributing to strategy and a passion for continuous improvement in all things.

more partner issues: are bad clients driving you crazy?  |  6 steps to handle staffing problems in a merger  |  new times call for new cpa firm metrics  |  why cpa firms fail in innovation  |  when the deal is done: a 24-point checklist for the morning after  |  7 signs your firm is headed for an implosion  |  why some partners should not retire  |  why is it always about partner compensation?

most firms don’t take enough time to develop meaningful partner goals because it is a very time-consuming process. but, if you want to get better results in this highly competitive environment, this is the road you need to take.

here are eight key areas where partners can and should provide leadership in a firm. read more →

15 deal breakers and non-negotiables in mergers

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prepare for the unexpected.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers

potential deal breakers in a merger negotiation can crop up at any time – and unexpectedly. but here are 15 that seem to occur more often than others. in most cases, one firm wants something, the other firm doesn’t and the two can’t agree on how to resolve the conflict. be prepared. read more →

before you even think about selling your practice…

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check the checklist: 32 reasons for a merger or acquisition

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and a

question: i am getting ready to think about retiring. i don’t want to work forever, and have enough saved so i will be pretty well off when i retire. however, i would like to get the most that i could for my practice. i also would like my staff to not lose their jobs and for my clients to be well cared for.

more q&a with ed mendlowitz: 44 critical criteria for accounting staff performance evaluations  |  23 reasons clients really need you for taxes  |  why i don’t hire on experience  |  5 time management tips for an overworked accountant  |  complaining client? no wonder!  |  running an accounting business  |  14 ways to switch to value pricing

i am a sole practitioner with two part-time bookkeepers, two full-time cpas and a full-time secretary/office assistant. i have an informal relationship with a larger firm where i refer business i can’t handle and they refer back smaller clients they do not want.

read more →

5 must-do’s for every managing partner today

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listsnew study shows merger mania and consolidation force new imperatives for the year ahead.

via bkr international

it’s no secret that the u.s. accounting industry is consolidating. with m&a comes an era of larger regional firms with more staff and more specific advisory services and clients than the general public accounting practice model our fathers and grandfathers knew.

more on the managing partner: the 9 ways managing partners leverage technology for a competitive edge  |  the 3 traits shared by 150 top managing partners  |  how the best managing partners lead by example  |  what successful managing partners do  |  managing partners reveal 11 strategies for getting their firms to the top  |  27 tough questions for evaluating the performance of a managing partner  |  essential advice for the new managing partner  |  eight new metrics to measure managing partner performance and potential

whether they want to conserve firm value for outgoing partners or grow for the next generation — or both — firm managing partners face difficult choices.

in a new study, members of bkr international reveal five important to-do items that need to take place within firms to support continued growth and excellent client service in the coming year and beyond. read more →

how to choose the right backup system

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as tape drives fast become overloaded, unreliable and obsolete.

kepczyk
kepczyk

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

your firm’s safety net in the event of any disaster is your data backup. it better be consistently performed and securely stored offsite.

typically, firms have a problem when their old backup systems fail or the tapes don’t complete because there’s too much data to fit. this is becoming a common problem as more data and more applications add significantly more volume, making the backup application require more storage and a longer running time to complete.

more tech trends: how to know it’s time to scrap your old server  |  where laptops rule at cpa firms today  |  step 1 in building the paperless firm: scanners  |  how many computer monitors do you need?  |  the 9 ways managing partners leverage technology for a competitive edge  |  2014 roundtable: tax season tech boom

the tape drive you have today will be the last one you will ever own. today 57% of firms are backing up all their data to the internet at least once per month. and the trend shows every sign of accelerating. but how do you choose the right solution for your firm? read more →